I've picked crochet back up out of sheer boredom. When I have enough projects complete I'll either sell them on Etsy or just give them out as gifts. If any of you have any special requests, I'll try and crochet it for you.

So far I've crocheted a squid, a sun, a water drop and some candy corn. Very random. I've got an amigurumi book coming in the mail. Once I have a few more techniques down, I'll be unstoppable!

I think I'm going to try and crochet a Cthulu next. Lovecraftian creatures should sell well.

Somewhere, in the 40-ish pages of this blog, is an experience I wrote about that touched on domestic abuse. weeee. My roommate way back when I was a silly college freshman had her boyfriend over allllll the time. One night, while I was supposed to be writing or studying, I was messing around in my room when I heard and argument and a big fat slap.

Some of you older members may even recall this entry. I don't recommend looking for it, five years = lots of entries. If I can find it myself, I'll link it.

ANYHOW. My other roommate's boyfriend threw the guy out and we put frozen peas on her swollen eye and tried to convince her to leave that jerk. It didn't work out, he was back the next day. The life I led back on '04 was... Maybe sometime I'll tell you about the time I came home and there was a gun on the table. That was fun.

Okay, on with the story. A girl (who I found out today is 20) lives in the apartment next to Edward and I. She's generally quiet, except when she's walking her dog, "Mystery." Basically, I have no issue with her. Okay, had no issue with her.

Lately, she's been turning her t.v. on really loudly, at 6 or 7 in the morning on Sundays. And I can hear it like it's in the room with me. I'm sure you can all understand why that would irritate me. So Edward and I do the usual BANG BANG BANG on the wall (that's what everyone does, right? who has the time and energy to walk downstairs, outside and over to her place just to ask her to turn her t.v. down? she probably wouldn't have anyway). Turns out, BANG BANG BANG, THUMP THUMP THUMP and speakers against the wall blasting Bizet's "Carmen" doesn't work.

Come to find out, it's most likely her dumbass boyfriend that's the loud t.v. watcher, not her (I didn't even realize she HAD a boyfriend, or visitors of any sort). And yesterday morning, for the first time, I heard sex noises. She wasn't home though. That wasn't something I wanted to think about so I just yelled "GROSS" through the wall. Sex noises ended. Topic over. I think he was watching porn. What a winnerrrrrr.

Last night, at 1 in the morning, their t.v. was on, loudly, once again. Even though I tried to tell Edward that BANG BANG BANG wouldn't work, he did it anyway. I was right. It didn't work.

This morning, at around 10 till 8 I heard loud arguing, and then 20 year old girl neighbor yelling "DON'T LEAVE! DON'T LEAVE! DON'T LEAVE!" I assumed they'd had a regular fight and he was storming out. Edward left for work, I laid in bed wondering what has become of my life. Eventually I peeked out the window when I heard her conversing angrily outside. Two cops, yaaaay. Domestic abuse call. I guess she was yelling, "DON'T LEAVE" because she wanted him to stick around for when the cops showed up. Unfortunately I believe she's locked out of her place, her dog is locked in, and she has to go to work with a black eye. The police advised her to get her shit and get out, and as far as I could tell from the conversation I was eavesdropping on, she plans to do so.

Good for her.

Anyway. The whole thing reminded me of the '04 incident and how I wished I hadn't been too scared to call the cops on my roomie's boyfriend. Her name was 2T, by the way. Pronounced Tootie. I have no idea where she is now.

A family that live in the apartment building across from me have an adorable black lab puppy that they basically leave outside all day. No leash, no collar... just roaming around the apartment buildings. She's very friendly and approaches everyone that comes outside, but it's obvious that she's been mistreated because she shies away if you move toward her too quickly.

And this is a little, little puppy. Maybe a few months old, at most. Her name is Maria. If they don't start taking care of her soon, I'm calling animal control. I'm sure they'll know it was me, I play with her all the time. Once, they came home to me holding her in a towel. We were hiding out during a storm. Yes. They left her unattended during a huge thunder storm, complete with lightning and torrential rain. I couldn't stand listening to her cry anymore so I dried her off and hung out with her until her people came home. She trembled the whole time. Puppies hate thunder. Surprise!

They didn't even let her in when they got there. And today she was rummaging around the trash bins trying to eat out of a dirty plastic bag.

Why do people get pets if they aren't willing to take care of them? And why am I the only one in this godforsaken apartment complex that gives a shit about a puppy? I mean, come on, it's a PUPPY. I thought they were universally loved by all.

I can't even imagine what's going to happen when she's full grown. She's a black lab, so she won't be small. I'm sure I won't know her fate. She's either going to get stolen, hit by a car, starve or get rescued by animal control. I'd adopt her myself if I didn't think her current owners would key my car and if I didn't live in an apartment.

I don't think it's fair that I have to get an eye exam annually in order to get new glasses or contacts.

I can see just fine with the contacts I have now, why can't I just continue using this prescription?

It's a racket, I tell ya.

Maybe if I could just get some of that evil Socialist* health care I could afford new contacts. And my annual eye exam.

Go Socialism!

*disclaimer - I in no way believe that the new health care reforms are Socialist. I also don't believe Socialism is evil. Don't get me wrong, I fucking love the shit out of Capitalism. I just don't get why people hate on Socialism so much. Maybe they hate the mail system and the public school system and the public libraries and Medicare?